Differential gearing for motor-vehicles.



M. TIBBETTS. ENTIAL GEARING FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

nvucmou 11120 Main. 1910.

DIFFER Patented July 11, 1916.

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MILTON TIBBETTS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 PACKARD MOTOR CAR COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

DIFFERENTIAL GEARING FOR MOTORVEHICLES.

Application filed June l4, 1

'1 b all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, MILTON TIBBE'rrs, o1 citizen of the United States, and resident of Detroit county of lVayne, State of l'vlichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Differential Gearing for Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to differential or balance gearing, and particularly to twogear differential gearing for motor vehicles. "lVhat may properly be termed aftwo-gear differential mechanism includes, first a differential gear support, second, a pair of meshing gears, third, axles or shafts for the gears and fourth, a pair of universal joints on the ends of the shafts. In such differentials as heretofore used, these joints have been placed usually within the differential support or at all events contiguous. to the gears, resulting necessarily in great angularity at-the joints vand consequent friction and wear. In the present invention this angularity is very slight due to the fact that the universal joints have been placed in the widely separated driven members of a motor vehicle axle or jack shaft, thus permitting of a more sim 10 form of universal jbint and reducing riction and wear.

One of the objects of this invention is to construct a differential which will have a minimum number of parts, and therefore will be simple in construction and cheap to manufacture.

Another object is to provide a motor vehicle driving axle with a differential mechanismof a novel and simple construction and in which the road wheels may be slightly inclined to the'vertical.

' Another object is to provide. a motor vehicle driving axle with a two-gear differential in which the axle sections are' axially removable.

Another object is to construct the differential sothat it may be retarded or locked and to construct the means for looking it so that it can be thrown into and out of operation.

'lhesc and other objects of the invention will appear from the detail description.

The invention will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is a longitudinal section through Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July U 1916.

910. Serial No. 566,886.

a differential. its housing, and the driven members; and. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1.

In the form of the invention shown, and which has been chosen for illustrative purposes, the invention not being limited to the exact construction, the casing or support for the differential mechanism is a motor vehicle axle comprising a hollow rigid supporting structure composed of sections 10 and 11 detachably secured together by bolts 12 and being formed with inturned sleevesl3 and 14 into which tubes 38 extend and are rigidly secured by riveted or driven joints. Road wheels 39 constitute driven members rotatably mounted at the ends of the casing, and as shown they are wholly supported on the non-rotating axle or casingupon separated bearings 39. The inturned sleeves above referred to also provide supports for bearings 20 and 21 in which are rotatably mounted the hubs 18 and 19 of a differential gear support which, as shown, is in two halves l'fiand 16 secured together as by bolts 17 which also secure a, bevel gear wheel 22 to the differential support. Said gear wheel 22 is driven by a pinion 23 on a driving shaft 23 which is also supported in hearings in the casing.

A two-gear difierential'mechanism which includes the support 15, 16, connects the driven members or wheels 39 and is arranged with its universal joints in the hubs of the road wheels. By such mechanism the road wheels are adapted to be driven, difi'erentially. from the driving shaft 23*"above referred to. Also, by arran ingthe universal joints of the diflerentia mechanism in the road wheels as shown herein and as will be described more in detail, the wheels 39 may if desired be inclined to the vertical to give more room for the vehicle body he I tween the upper parts of the wheels, without the use of any additional universal joints. The two gears of the differential mechanism are mounted in constant mesh with each other in the support 15, 16, being. shown nected to their respective gears and con-- nected to the wheel hubs by universal oints;

These shafts which may also be termed axle sections-0r live axles, and which are out of alinement with each other are given a gymtory driving movement by the driving mechanism mounted at the middle of theaxle.

They are iournaled inthe huhs of the ditien,

. angularly'shaped' heads 43 which engage similarly shaped recesses in. pieces 40 which are removably secured to the outerends of the hubs of the road wheels as by huh caps 42 and which form a driving connection with the wheels throughinterlocking projections and recesses 41 on the hubs and pieces 40. -'l. he heads 43 preferably have a loose fit with the recesses in the piecesdl), or they may be rounded as shown in Fig.

' 1, so that. they will form with the recesses a, universal joint. 7

It will heunderstood that the gears 26 are supported independently of the shafts so that they-will remain *inlplace 'whenthe shafts are withdrawn, alsofthatsaid shafts may be Withdrawn by removing the caps 42 and the pieces40, and as easily replaced, without disturbing" either the gears 26 Or the differential support 15, I6.

For the 'purpose'of providing a retarding means for the operation of the differential,

the sections 15 and 16'a're hollow, as shown in the drawings, and are divided into compartment-s or chambers 25 by means of inwardly extending partitions 24. -Between these partitions a passageway in which the interineshing differential gears 26 are closely mounted. Thereis elsoa port. or passage 27 connecting the compartments on opposite sides of the. partitions. lhis port is arranged to be closed by a needle valve 28- wliich is connccteil to a lever '29 pivoted upon the differential support and ho'nnected to a rod 30 extendingthrougha' sleeve 31, which is splined upon the hub 19. The rod. 30 and the sleeve 31 are arranged to be adjusted relativel'y'bymeans of a nut 32 on the rod 30, which engages the end of theisleeve, The sleeve is. arranged to be moved axially on the hub 19 by means ofahell crank lever 33 operated by-a rod 34 which may be suitably connected to the steering gear (not shown) of the motor vehicle so that theipessage 27 is open only while the vehicle is turning corners. In order'that the chambers 25 formed in the difi'crential support may he filled with or drained of a suitable liquid, an opening having a removable cap 35 is provided.

In the operation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1 in which the'sxes of the wheels one chamber to the other.

the e'arious elements of the difierentia-l mechanism,including the support 15, 16, the

gears 26,-.thcshafts 3G and the universal joints at 43, or between any of those elei'nents and the wheels. In. otherwords, there is no relative rotation of the shafts 36 and no movement, and consequently no wear, in the universal joints. The inner ends of the shafts l einghel(l out of alineinent with the axis of rotation of thewhecl hubs and connected by the gears 26, act in the nature of cranhs, and are gyrated by the differential supporttherehy carrying the wheels around with them. But if there is a relative movement of the wheels, as whcnthe vehicle, is

turning, there is a relative rotation of the gears JG-and their respective shafts 36 about their own axes and the universal joints act to adjust the shafts and wheels to the new relation. By filling the chambers 25 oft-he difi'erential support with a suitable fluid, as oil, the gears 26 will act as an ordinary gear pump whenever there is any relative moven'ient of the. wheels, and. transfer the oil from If the passage or port '27 is open the oil will readily return therethrough, thus permitting free" 1nove-' ment of the gears, but if the. port is closedor partly closed by the "alve 28 the oil will be restricted in itsreturn, and since the oil is not compressible to any extent, themove ment of the (liilerential gears. will heretarded or the gears ioeked depe'ndingnpon the exact position of the valve 28 and the leakage, if any. Since the movement of the differential gears is onlynecessary when turning corners, the rod 3-1. is preferably connected with the steering gear so that when the steering gear is turned the difa terential will he unlocked and when the steering gear is straight or approximately so; the differential will he locked. it the (.litfcrential is locked and one wheel is oft" the ground or on a slippery place spinning' of the wheel will be prevented.

It will he understood that the invention may also he applied to the; counter or jack shaft of achain driven vehicle, in which case the road wheels will he replaced by sprocket wheels which are connected by chains to the road wheels. it is to be understood therefore that the term driven members is to be construed as a broad term, so as to include both the o-mstructions described and also 'nt constructions.

It will he n ted ,.the axle sections or shafts are fiexilly connected at their outer ,he no relativeinovement whatever between ends to the dr ven members, and inflexibly connected at their inner ends with the gears 26. Any suitable form of flexiblejoint may be used.

,1 "It is obvious that various changes may be fII lllde in the details of construction without departing from this invention, and it is therefore to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the specific construction shown and described. It is also obvious that some features of the invention are adapted to other forms of gearing or driving mechanism in which the particular torm of differential gearing is not used.

Having thus described my invention what I, claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 1- In a differential mechanism. the combination with a pair of intermeshing gears, said pair of gears comprising all the gears of the differential mechanism, of fluid retarding means therefor.

2. In differential mechanism, the combination with a housing. of a pair of intermeshing gears therein, said pair of gears comprising all the gears of the diflerential mechanism. said housing being adapted to contain a fluid. and means within the housing cooperating with said gears to circulate the fluid and retard the movements of said gears.

3. In differential mechanism. the combination with a housing divided to form chambers and provided with a passage betw can the chambers, of a pair of intermeshing gears in said passage. and there being a c mtrolling port between said chambers, said gears comprising all the gears of the differential mechanism.

-l. In differential mechanism, the combinat ion with a housing divided to form chambers and provided with a passage between the chambers, of a pair of intermeslnng gears in said passage. and there being a port between said chambers. a valve for controlling said port, and means to open and close said valve, said plurality of gears comprising all the gears of the difi'ercntial mechanism.

In difi'erential gearing, the combination with a housing provided with a chambt-r. of radial partitions for said chamber forming a pa sage. a pair of inter-meshing gears arranged in said passage. and oooperating with said partitions to form a pump. and one of said partitions having a. oouirz'dli-d port therein. I

a. In a dillcrcntial gearing, the combinahon of a housing adapted to contain a liquid. and having hubs on opposite sides thereof mounted in bearings. a parti ion in the plane of the axis of said hubs and ividing the intcrior of said housing in two separate chambers, lllitil'lllcSlli lg gears journaled in said partition, driven members, shafts extending through said hubs and engaging said gears and having a universal joint connection with said driven members and a valvecontrolled port through said partition and adapted to establish communication between said chambers.

7. A difi'erential gearing for motor vehicles, comprising a housing adapted to contain a liquid, means for supporting said housing for rotation, a partition in said housing and dividing the interior thereof into two separate chambers. a pair of dili'er cntial gears journaled in said partition and adapted to force the liquid from one of said chambers to the other. and valve-controlled means for establishing communication between said chambers.

8. A differential gearing for motor vehicles comprising a housing adapted to contain a liquid, means for supporting said housing for rotation, a partition in said housing and dividing the interior thereof into two separate chambers. a pair of differential gears journalcd in said partition and adapted to force the liquid from one of said chambers to the other, a passage for conveying liquid from one of said chambers to the other counter to the flow due to the gears, a valve in said passagmand means for actuating said valve.

9. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a nonmotating axle and road wheels mounted at the ends thereof. of a two gear differential mechanism comprising a pair of diagonally arranged meshing gears. a pair of universal ]OlI\tS 1n the hubs of the road rectly from the gears to the universal joints, respectively.

10. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a non-rotating casing and driven mem bers mounted on bearings at the ends thereof and having hubs, of a difl'crential gear support, a pair of inter-meshing gears mounted diagonally in said support so that their extended axes will intersect the center line of said bearings within said hubs, and shafts extending between said gears and said hubs respectively md connected to the latter by universal joints.

11. In a motor vehicle, the combination with a non-rotating axle and road wheels mounted on bearings at the ends thereof. of a differential gear support, a pair of intermeshing gears mounted diagonally in said support so that their extended axes will intersect the center line of said bearings within the hubs of the road wheels. and shafts extending betweensaid gears and said road wheel hubs respectively, and connected to the latter by universal joints.

1?. In a motor vehicle, the combination .wheels, and non-flexible shafts extending diwith a non-rotating. axle and road wheels fen Y A 1!? [1% Nauru-(fling tint- A 15101112 and permit H ll iiwnJ-of E1: z'm'm'se difibr mtutingg said gear 1 WW1 a two ar difvrfising a uiiYerenznf diagmmily arjwnmi 1.? iller and having mammal in Ffiid support, 7' :1! Mn: Quin wads of said wh ting 5031M axle Qup- Md 48111 and of the axle, uni- :Mween the axle secwheei hubs, means 31mm 1 is 0? 110 axle secixi; of rotation of the reamj mam far operatwhiiez permitting di'fi :mFws uni holiew sup 3. at the timm in 522M fizummui; with each "inc w hm hm ins in- Hz? adv. uni -cn the 231i .,.ve1 huba and sum'mrtingf a X10 mar-mining tions Wham inns; end W1 7i: other.

l6 Tim? L putting; 2.11% at {1w @11 2 may su.;* i) \urt mile Siftiifmg other M552 Saki gun" hm main minteinv means connecting said driving mechanism to said axle sections for operating the latter and for holding the inner ends of the axle sections out of the axis of rotation of the re speetive Wheel hubs and permitting dilfen ential action between them.

22. The combination with a hollow supporting axle and Wheels rotatably mounted at the outer ends thereof, of axle sections out of alinement with each other and each out of alinement with the axis of rotation of the wheels, means including universal joints connecting the outer ends of said axle sections with the respective wheel hubs, rotetable driving mechanism in said axle, can ncctions rum said driving mechanism to the inner ends oi said axle sections for imparting a gyratory movement to said axle sections, and means for rotating said driving mechanism.

In testimony whereof I ufiix my signature in presence of two witnemes.

MILTON 'IIBBEITSH Witnesses:

GEO. A. Sounonnmz, E. H. KING. 

